Now 66, Jesperson is serving five non-consecutive life sentences in Oregon's state penitentiary. He confessed to killing her and subsequently admitted to seven other murders. Watch Happy Face Killer on Lifetime Movie Club. In 1990, shortly after his marriage ended, Keith Jesperson, a long-haul trucker from Selah, Washington, began killing women. Skiples remains were found on the side of. He had given police officers the location of the victim's purse. Skiples remains were found on the side of California State Route 152 in the Gilroy area about 80 miles southeast of San Francisco in June 1993, in an area known as Pacheco Pass. "Madonna, that's what she listened to all day," White said. All Rights Reserved. [10] Jesperson soon realized that this job afforded him the opportunity to kill without being suspected. Pavlinac made this false statement because she wanted to escape her abusive relationship with Sosnovske. Jesperson met her in a bar in January 1995 and agreed to give her a ride before eventually killing her. Jesperson is serving four life sentences without possibility of parole in Oregon. After getting in an argument with Bennett, he strangled her to death with his hands and disposed of her body. [00:02:05] Hi, everyone. Due to the unknown identity of the female adult, Cold Case Detectives later referred to Jane Doe as Blue Pacheco.. In March 2018, she was featured in an episode, titled "Put on a Happy Face", of the Investigation Discovery true crime series Evil Lives Here. Brown also believes that the smiley face images found in some of the cases are likely nothing more than coincidences based upon making a guess at where the body entered the water and searching a wide . [13] Police originally considered her death a drug overdose. He tries to paint the victim as someone who needed to be killed, Phelps, whose nearly decade-long relationship with the killer gives him insight into Jespersons mind, told producers. In September 1994, the body of a woman was found in Florida. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. [7] She was a correspondent for Crime Watch Daily. He strangled her and left her corpse in Oregon. Updated: Mar 3, 2021 (1955-) Who Is Keith Hunter. I thought, 'Oh my God, it felt like I put my mother in jail.'". She was a mother and approximately 45 years old at the time she was killed. His last known victim was a woman he dated, which led to his capture and incarceration for life. That night, he had been celebrating a friend's 21st birthday with a group of friends. Victim 2: California Jane Doe. They'd mostly all been college-aged, popular, and athletic. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and authorities. Courtesy of Kathy Geib, was 22 years old when he went missing during the early hours of June 12, 2005, at a bonfire party in an orchard close to his home in Casnovia, Michigan. I had been worried about this for a long time. There, he assaulted, beat and strangled her. This finding is inconsistent with the belief that Booth drowned the night he disappeared. Authorities came to believe they had convicted the wrong people. Watch the full story on "20/20" THIS FRIDAY at 9 p.m. A Canadian-born long-haul truck driver and divorced father of three, Jesperson carried out his killings over the course of five years until he turned himself in to authorities in 1995. Notorious serial killer Keith Jesperson, better known by the "Happy Face Killer" nickname he was given in the '90s, has spent decades behind bars but his daughter believes he would kill again if released from prison today. In addition to murder, Jesperson's criminal history included animal cruelty, arson and sexual assault. Jesperson was born on April 6, 1955, in British Columbia, Canada. Jesperson's last victim was the crime that ultimately led to his capture. This victim has been identified as Cynthia Lynn (Rose) Wilcox. Her body was found on a roadside rock pile in Santa Nella, California. . , who survived a violent encounter with Jesperson when she was 21. Victim 6: Florida Jane Doe. Some say the Smiley Face Killer has taken 40 victims over two decades. His last known victim was a woman he dated, which led to his capture and, During his depraved spree, Jesperson taunted authorities with anonymous. The message was signed with a smiley face. All drowned after getting intoxicated. As a child, he was cruel to animals he killed cats and snakes and, under the guise of hunting, inflicted pain on creatures like deer, rabbits, and coyotes. Jesperson became a suspect after Winningham's was found since he was known to be her boyfriend. Remains found in Merced County, California on June 3, 1993, belonged to a Jesperson victim he has said was called "Cindy." of Victims 8-185 killed 5 attempted Span of crimes 1995/1966-March 10, 1995 (confirmed) Criminal Charges Who is the Happy Face Killer Keith Hunter Jesperson? After he strangled them, he dumped the dead bodies on the side of the road. The last known sighting of the Duquesne University graduate student was caught on asurveillance camera in the downtown area. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department announced. Homan did not arrive for a golf outing the next day. He received multiple life sentences for several of these crimes but was spared the death penalty. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. He has said he strangled her because she wouldn't let him sleep. I'llgo to the pen. John Ingram, who worked on the case. Or 'I will cause trouble for your family. Jesperson claimed this still-unidentified woman as his fifth victim but told Phelps that he cant recall anything about her. Pentlands body was found in November 1992 after being discarded in Salem, Oregon. Jesperson met 21-year-old Bennett in a bar in Portland, Oregon. This led Jesperson to violently attack Martin until his father pulled him away. Hurley walked outside while Mahoney drove to the stadium to pick him up. I'll go to death row.'". Her body was discovered behind the Blueberry Hill Cafe in Turlock, California. California State Route 152 in the Gilroy area about 80 miles southeast of San Francisco in June 1993, in an area known as Pacheco Pass. ". The first victim was found in 1997. At age 35, standing 6feet 7inches (2.01m) and weighing approximately 255 pounds (116kg),[9] Jesperson began working toward the goal of joining the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), but an injury suffered while training ended this endeavor. The first happened when Jesperson was around age 10, when he was friends with a boy named Martin. Pavlinac told investigators during her last recorded statement on Feb. 26, 1990. Here's what the evidence says. By Joseph Diaz, Scott Engel, Emily Wynn, Jenner Smith, and Lauren Effron November 4, 2021, 3:32 AM 1:24 Laverne Pavlinac and John Sosnovske are seen here in this 1985 family photo. When investigators asked him why he decided to come forward, Jesperson listed two reasons. [1], At a very early ageas young as fiveJesperson would capture and torture animals. "The greatest human tragedy is that Laverne Pavlinac derailed the investigation in 1990, and in four years, Keith Jesperson killed more women," said Jim McIntyre, the Multnomah County, Oregon, prosecutor who handled the cases. Homan and his friend somehow got separated during their walk home, and his friend ended up at the ER detox with a head injury after being picked up by police. One of them was to a friendwho said she heard Geib say, "I'm in a field" before the call dropped. The area had been searched repeatedly in the weeks before his body was discovered, but no one had seen Booth. Meanwhile, the real killer carried out a series of murders over five years. Best Known For: Serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, also known as the "Happy Face Killer," brutally murdered eight women between 1990 and 1995. He was known as the "Happy Face Killer" because he drew smiley faces on his many letters to the media and prosecutors. Keith Hunter Jesperson committed his first murder in 1990. They believed his body traveled for almost 10 miles and even went through a dam before its discovery. And that's how I remember her," said Melissa Gavin, her longtime friend. While he has claimed to have killed many more people, officials can only confirm that Jesperson killed eight women between 1990 and 1995 in California, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Nebraska and Wyoming. Kreuger, Peggy; Kendra Justice & Amy Hunt (March 2006). Buddy up at all times. The last known sighting of the Duquesne University graduate student was caught on asurveillance camera in the downtown area. Between 1990-1995, a series of murders were discovered over several states, all with a very similar MO. Halfway through the game, Hurley called hisfiance, ClaireMahoney, pictured above, and said he wanted to leave. The Smiley Face Killers. While in custody, Jesperson began revealing details of his killings and making claims of many others, most of which he later recanted. Jesperson eventually settled in Selah, Washington with his wife and three children. Sosnovske pleaded guilty to avoid the death penalty. The 21-year-old finance student rarely partied since he was dedicated to the university's soccer team, but he decided to have a few drinks for the new year. "He says, 'Because I choked her' I said, 'I think weneed to take her to a hospital. Mahoney said she drove around for an hour before returning home, thinking Hurley got another ride, and that when she got back, Hurley was still gone. Jesperson, also called the "Happy Face Killer", who is serving two life sentences in Oregon in connection with guilty pleas to two murders. ET on ABC. Sometime around 1957, Glatman posted Lonely Hearts adverts in newspapers to lure his victims in addition to prowling modeling agencies in Los Angeles, eventually posing as a photographer himself. He was reported missing later that day by his mother, and a massive manhunt ensued. ", This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 19:00. Hurley's mother received a copy of the autopsy report and allowed aphysician to analyze the report. One day, she watched, horrified, as he hung stray kittens from the family's clothesline. A journalist noticed the symbol and came up with the Happy Face Killer nickname. In the majority of the cases, the victims were successful students and athletes who disappeared after a night out drinking with friends, and they were ultimately found dead in a body of water. He had been questioned by police a week before, but they had no grounds to arrest him after he refused to talk. Hundreds of college-aged men have died in accidental or undetermined drownings. Smiley faces again served as his signature, prompting a journalist to dub Jesperson the "Happy Face Killer.". The morning of October 2, Homan's body was found not far from the shore of the Mississippi River. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Despite the distance between them, some detectives think that drownings are actually the work of a serial killer or group of serial killers. Jesperson has said that he took 166 lives, but only the above eight murders have been attributed to him. For now it remains only a theory that has yet to be proved. "I'm told to place her into a holding cell I say, 'OK, Laverne, now you need to go into that room right there,' She turned around and she looked at me and she gave me a hug. The Lonely Hearts Killer, was a truly frightening and twisted serial murderer in the late 1950s. When an Oregon newspaper ran a five-part series called The Happy Face Serial Killer in 1994, an anonymous author took credit for the five murders. The oldest child, Melissa, was ten years old. Jesperson got away easily so long as he was killing women he did not know, but his impulsivity got the best of him, and eventually, he murdered someone he did knowhis own girlfriend. Judge Paul Lipscomb of the Circuit Court of Oregon agreed to vacate Sosnovske's sentence after ruling his no-contest plea violated his constitutional rights because it had not been voluntary since he was facing the death penalty. His boss informed his family, who filed a missing persons report 72 hours later. After the murder, Jesperson remembered they'd spent days together and he'd let her use a credit card. [8], In November 2008, Jesperson's daughter, Melissa G. Moore, appeared on Dr. Phil to talk about her father. Before his arrest, he also wrote a letter to his brother that admitted, "I am sorry that I turned out this way. When contacted by sheriffs detectives, he said he had gagged her with duct tape, raped her in the sleeping cab of his rig and strangled her, reported the Spokesman-Review.